Slingbox

[BJ_M]

The Slingbox is a breakthrough consumer electronics device that enables you to watch your living room television programming from anywhere by turning virtually any Internet-connected laptop or PC into a personal television. The Slingbox placeshifts your television signal from a cable box, satellite receiver, or DVR to your PC — located at home or 3,000 miles away — via the Internet. Whether you want to watch your soaps in the laundry room, or catch the big game during a conference call, or watch your local news from China, the power is now in your hands. Wherever you go, your TV will follow.

Features

* Enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are – the office, a hotel room, your garden, even the bathroom – anywhere there is an Internet connection
* The SlingRemote™ in the SlingPlayer software gives you full control over virtually any A/V device, from changing channels and viewing recorded content to fast-forwarding or setting up a season pass
* Works seamlessly with your existing home theater setup and PC technologies – no new cables required!
* Easy to use and set up, with automatic device discovery and a setup wizard that walks you through the process step-by-step
* Stand-alone device connects directly to a home network without depending on a dedicated host PC
* Get TV on an unlimited number of PCs without the hassle and cost of adding new hardware (i.e. TV tuner cards) and software drivers to every computer – with no additional service fees
* SlingStream™ optimization algorithms automatically adapt to changing network conditions to give you the best video quality consistently
* The Slingbox is powered by a high-performance digital signal processor from Texas Instruments and leverages Microsoft's latest Windows Media Video technologies to provide superior video quality
* Signal outputs allow the Slingbox to operate in pass-through mode
* S-Video, Composite, and Coax inputs accomodate a wide variety of television sources
* Absolutely zero subscription fees

Specifications

Inputs

* Composite Audio & Video (RCA)
* S-video
* RF/Coaxial

Outputs

* Composite Audio & Video (RCA)S-video
* S-video

Device control

* IR emitter

Network

* Ethernet (RJ-45)

Front Panel Display LEDs

* Status
* Network
* Power

TV tuner

* NTSC (built-in)

Power requirements

* 100-240V AC

Platform: PC
System Requirements: At-home Requirements

You must have

* TV Source (antenna, cable, satellite, DVR, DVD, or video camera)
* Ethernet Connection from your Slingbox to your (wired or wireless) router via
o Ethernet cable or jack
o Wireless game adapter or bridge
o Powerline ethernet bridge
* Laptop or desktop PC with Microsoft Windows XP or 2000
* Broadband Internet Connection (required for remote use only)

PC Client Requirements

* Windows XP Home/Pro/MCE or Windows 2000 SP4
* 256MB RAM
* 100MB free hard disk space

In the Box:

* 1 Slingbox™
* 1 CD-ROM with Windows SlingPlayer software
* 1 Quick Setup Guide
* 1 power adapter
* 1 coaxial cable
* 2 composite audio & video RCA cables
* 1 S-Video cable
* 1 network cable
* 1 IR emitter





http://www.slingmedia.com/slingbox/
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=329231&cm_ven=chth_em&cm...guides&cm_cmem

[ROF]

I've seen this device around. Looks quite interesting. I like the idea of not having to carry around alot of equipment or media. You could essentially watch your local stations from any hotel on your laptop. The price isn't bad for what it does for people on the go. I've considered purchasing but I have a feeling this market is going to explode soon with competitors. Your media anywhere at anytime including your media services(CableTV, iTunes, XM Radio, etc.) what media junkie /couch potato wouldn't want that? There's a reason why it's shaped like a brick. It's got some weight to it.

[thecoalman]

Just a matter of time before all you your media is switched to broadband anyway. At some point in time cable television, movies etc. will be streamed. On demand is what consumers want, just need more people hooked up too higher bandwidth connections.